Grain is added to the stack at Viterra’s Gladstone site. Photo: Viterra

VITERRA’S South Australian-based network had received almost 4.88 million tonnes of grain in the harvest to December 19 after receiving 922,270t in the past week, according to the company’s latest harvest report.

In another high-volume week, growers broke the record for canola deliveries with more than 465,000t this season.

In the Western Region, growers have been delivering into the lower and mid Eyre Peninsula sites.

Viterra Western Region operations manager Nick Pratt said the warmer weather had enabled growers to get into the full swing of harvest, with strong deliveries coming in, particularly at Cummins, Tumby Bay and Port Lincoln.

“Both Port Lincoln and Thevenard port terminals continued their busy shipping program, with both wheat and barley loaded,” Mr Pratt said.

“We expect to see growers continuing to make strong deliveries leading up to Christmas.”

Viterra’s Eastern Region had a steady week of deliveries, and has growers at various stages of harvest.

The region’s operations manager Jo Klitscher said feedback from some growers is that they are starting on cereals now, while others, particularly in the Mallee area, have finished or are close to finishing harvest.

“We’ve had strong volumes of beans and canola and we are overflowing where possible to enable growers to continue to deliver,” Ms Klitscher said.

Receivals in the Central Region slowed towards the end of the week following some poor weather conditions.

Viterra Central Region operations manager Jack Tansley said feedback from growers is that some in the north and through the top of the Yorke Peninsula are finishing their harvest.

“Growers delivered the largest volumes into Gladstone, Roseworthy and Port Giles, and these sites will continue to be reasonably busy through to Christmas,” Mr Tansley said.

“We have continued to out-turn grain by rail.

“We also completed loading around 40,000t on to vessels at Wallaroo port terminal which will be followed by another at Port Giles.”

Viterra Adelaide Region operations manager Neil Carr said Viterra’s busy shipping schedule was well under way, with back-to-back vessels at Adelaide’s port terminals.

“More than 130,000t of wheat and barley was loaded at Outer Harbor last week, as well as a wheat vessel at Inner Harbour, and faba beans and lentils due to load next,” Mr Carr said.

“Accumulating faba beans has been helped by the strong receivals of the commodity into site, along with large volumes of canola.”

Viterra’s next harvest report will be released on January 5.

Source: Viterra